Latest news with #RonnieBradford
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Whigham's Inn in Sanquhar: Robert Burns' hostelry to get new life
When Scotland's national bard stopped off for a drink in Sanquhar, there was only one place he found Burns liked the inn run by Edward Whigham so much that he immortalised it in verse, with At Whigham's Inn, prominent property in the heart of the south of Scotland town has become much less welcoming in recent years and has fallen on hard the local community has now stepped in with the hope of bringing the building back into use - with a nod to the poet who found it such a pleasant hostelry. Ronnie Bradford is the community development officer with the Sanquhar Enterprise Company (SEC) which recently bought the building for £30, they hope it can be the subject of an overhaul likely to run close to costing £3m."We need to go down the route of trying to find the funding which, obviously, in today's landscape is going to prove challenging. But we are committed to doing something," said SEC was actually set up to with a view to taking over the town's historic post office when it looked like it might close for good. Luckily that prospect was avoided, but now it has turned its attention to a similarly important building in the Upper Nithsdale old pub occupies a central site on the A76 that runs through the heart of Sanquhar and emerged as a key potential project from consultation with the community."It's a property that is on the High Street in a very prominent position and had been lying derelict for approximately 40 years," Ronnie explained."Dumfries and Galloway Food Share used it for a while as an office but it had basically just been left to rot by a succession of speculative owners who had bought it at auction and sold it." About four years ago the SEC started its efforts to look at taking it over, but the asking price proved too in March this year it heard it might have come into range and - thanks to the Nithsdale Community Trust - got the funds together to snap it said the hard work would really begin now."We own the building, we've got the keys and the next stage is to see what we can do," he said.A first "quick win" will hopefully be to improve the exterior look of the building before developing plans to bring it back into use - most probably as some kind of affordable housing. However, he said anything they did would recognise its significant past."We fully understand the importance of this building - not only in terms of Sanquhar, but it is also nationally important," he said."It fills a gap if you like between the established buildings that have Burns associations up in Ayrshire and down in Dumfries."This Upper Nithsdale corridor very much fills in this gap and we're delighted to have secured the building for that reason alone."We will make sure that we pay homage to the fact that the building has this historic and cultural significance."He said that what the project might finally include was "very much up for discussion".However, he said they felt that due to the housing crisis some kind of housing development was appropriate."We feel that it would be a major flagship in terms of our plans to bring back life and commerce to Sanquhar High Street," said could also be a community space or a heritage element - to recognise its Burns links."It was the only acceptable place in Sanquhar that he would either drink or stay at," Ronnie added."He obviously struck up a major friendship with Edward Whigham and his wife and we want to recognise and pay homage to that." In the process, they could help turn around a story familiar across the region and the rest of the country."We've got a problem with depopulation, we've got a problem of businesses falling by the way," said Ronnie."We've just lost the bank in the last few weeks."So we needed to do something to try and redress that balance and we see Whigham's Inn as being a potential major kickstarter to revitalising that."He knows they have a long way to go in terms of raising funds - and getting work fully by the end of it all, they hope they will have a building back in use which the bard would be proud of. At Whigham's Inn, Sanquhar by Robert BurnsEnvy, if thy jaundiced eye,Through this window chance to spy,To thy sorrow thou shalt find,All that's generous, all that's kind,Friendship, virtue, every grace,Dwelling in this happy place.
Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Hollow pledges on defence spending won't make Britain any safer
SIR – Nato leaders are congratulating themselves on having escaped the headmaster's study without a caning, in large part because of a very public commitment to increase defence spending ('Trump hails 'historic milestone'', report, June 25). But we should not be fooled by this. Sir Keir Starmer and his ministers now talk about spending 5 per cent of GDP on 'security'. Of this, 3.5 per cent will be spent on real defence capability – and the rest will go on whatever Whitehall mandarins decide they can say falls under this category. Sir Humphrey would be proud of them. Iain Duffin Malmesbury, Wiltshire SIR – Shrinking our GDP would make the 5 per cent target for defence spending easier to achieve. Could this be the Government's strategy? Keith Macpherson Clevedon, Somerset SIR – Promises to increase defence spending are worthless without a commitment to secure the British economy, which has been severely damaged by successive governments over the past 40 years. Budget deficits have driven up the national debt, putting our children on the hook for today's expenditure and removing the capacity for the country to spend more in the face of a real emergency. This debt crisis must be addressed. In addition, the Government must adopt policies that deliver affordable energy, so that British businesses can be competitive. Until a party seriously commits to sound budgets and cheaper energy, we cannot have faith in promises to secure the country. Ronnie Bradford Vienna, Austria SIR – All the sophisticated weaponry and technology in the world will be of no value if we lack the personnel to use them ('British jets to carry nuclear warheads', report, June 25). The recruitment process, as conducted by civilian contractors, has proved to be a disaster, and must be restored to the individual services. The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) should be rejuvenated, as should all forms of junior entry to the services. Pay and conditions must be improved, and the pervasive nonsense of diversity, equity and inclusion schemes must not be allowed to interfere with recruitment based on merit. The country needs a credible military deterrent, which must be of sufficient strength to ensure that it can meet all threats. The reintroduction of some form of conscription should be considered, and national pride in the Armed Forces must once again be integral to our way of life. The security of the nation is the prime responsibility of any government, and should be prioritised accordingly in all budgetary planning. Mick Richards Malvern, Worcestershire
